Top five safest cars and SUVs in India: Maruti Suzuki outscores Tata and Mahindra!

For many car buyers in India, especially families, safety is no longer just an add-on, it’s a necessity. A well-built, secure vehicle not only protects those inside but also lowers risks for others on the road, thanks to improved crash protection and pedestrian-friendly designs.

In recent years, India’s auto sector has stepped up its game, with stricter regulations making basic safety equipment mandatory across all models. At the same time, growing awareness has pushed buyers to place safety high on their checklist when choosing a new car. With this shift in priorities, we’ve rounded up the top five safest cars and SUVs with ratings from Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP.1. Maruti Suzuki VictorisFirst on the list is the just-launched Maruti Suzuki Victoris SUV with a five-star rating from both Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP.

The Victoris will be positioned between the Brezza and the Grand Vitara in the company’s lineup, and it will be retailed exclusively through Maruti’s ARENA dealerships. The name Victoris is derived from Latin, meaning "victory." Interested customers can book the new Victoris online or by visiting their nearest Maruti Suzuki Arena dealerships, The booking amount is set at Rs 11,000.

In Global NCAP, the SUV has scored an impressive (AOP) score of 33.72 out of 34, and a (COP) score of 41 out of 49.

In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the Victoris secured 15.807 out of 16 points. As per GNCP the SUV offered strong protection to the driver’s head, neck, pelvis, thighs, left tibia, and feet, all rated at the highest level of safety. Chest and right tibia protection were considered satisfactory.

For the passenger in the front seat, the head, neck, chest, pelvis, thighs, and tibia all received the top safety grade.

In Bharat NCAP too the SUV has secured full five stars for both AOP and COP. It scored an impressive 31.66 out of 32 points for adult occupant safety and 43.00 out of 49 points for child safety. During the BNCAP frontal offset deformable barrier test, the driver’s chest and lower legs were rated as offering adequate safety, while the rest of the body areas scored a good rating. For the co-driver, protection levels were consistently marked as good, similar to the results seen in Global NCAP evaluations.

In the side impact tests, both with the movable deformable barrier and the pole impact assessment—the car performed strongly, with the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis of the occupant all registering good levels of protection.2. Tata Harrier and SafariThe next set of SUVs on the list is the Tata Harrier and Safari with 5 stars for AOP and COP. Both SUVs have been tested by Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP. Talking about Global NCAP first, both SUVs have secured 33.05 out of 34 points for adult occupant protection and 45 points out of 49 in the child occupant protection tests.

As per GNCAP, the Harrier and Safari offered good protection to the driver's and passenger’s head and neck in the frontal impact test.

The driver and passenger’s chests showed adequate protection, and their knees showed good protection. Talking about child occupant protection, GNCAP tested the SUVs with dummies of an 18-month-old and a 3-year-old child, both seated facing rearward.

In Bharat NCAP too both SUVs have secured a perfect five-star safety rating for both adult occupant protection as well as child occupant protection.

The Harrier & Safari secured 30.08 points out of the maximum 32 for adult occupant protection, and 44.54 points out of 49 for child occupant protection.3. Tata NexonAnother Tata model on the list is the Tata Nexon sub-compact SUV with 5-star safety rating by both Global NCAP and Bharat NCAP. In GNCAP’s adult occupancy, it has scored 32.22/34 points, while its child occupant score was 44.52/49 points. In the frontal impact crash tests, both the driver and passenger were found to have good protection for the head and neck.

Chest protection for both, however, was rated as adequate.

The knees of the driver and passenger were marked good, while the tibia assessment showed a split result good protection for the passenger and adequate for the driver.

Talking about Bharat NCAP, it has scored 29.41 / 32.00 points for adult occupants and 43.83/ 49.00 in child occupancy. Overall, the Nexon delivered a solid performance in the crash assessments, securing a mix of Good and Adequate ratings across the different tests and safety parameters.4. Maruti Suzuki DzireAnother Maruti Suzuki model on the list is the Maruti Suzuki Dzire with 5 5-star safety rating from both GNCAP and BNCAP. Talking about the GNCAP first, the Dzire is the first ever Maruti to get 5 stars from Global NCAP. The Dzire secured a score of 31.24 points out of 34 in adult occupant protection and in child occupant protection, the Dzire secured 39.20 points out of 42.As per GNCAP, in adult occupancy, the protection for the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck was rated as good, while the driver’s chest received marginal protection and the passenger’s chest had adequate protection.

Both the driver’s and passenger’s knees were well-protected. The bodyshell and footwell areas were rated stable, with the bodyshell able to withstand additional loads. The sedan also performed well in side impact tests, offering good protection for the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.

However, in the side pole impact test, the head, abdomen, and pelvis received good protection, while the chest area showed only marginal protection.

Now in Bharat NCAP, the sedan has scored 29.46 out of 32 points for adult occupant safety and 41.57 out of 49 points for child occupant protection. According to the Bharat NCAP crash test report, the compact sedan performed well in the frontal offset barrier test, providing good protection for the head and legs of both front occupants. The driver’s chest, however, was rated as offering only marginal protection.In the side movable barrier test, the Dzire ensured good protection for the head and abdomen, while the chest received an adequate rating.

During the side pole impact assessment, the car once again delivered good protection for the occupants.5. Tata Harrier EV and Mahindra XEV 9eNext set of cars on the list is Tata Harrier EV and Mahindra XEV 9e. Both cars are only tested by Bharat NCAP and has secured highest rating in both adult and child occupancy. Do note that these two models has not been tested by Global NCAP. Talking about the Harrier EV, it has secured 32 out of 32 points for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 for child occupant protection.In crash tests, the Harrier EV delivered an impressive overall performance. It achieved top scores in both the frontal offset deformable barrier and side movable barrier evaluations, ensuring strong protection for critical body regions such as the head, chest, and pelvis. In the side pole impact test, protection was rated as acceptable.

The SUV also excelled in child occupant safety. It scored a flawless 24 out of 24 in dynamic tests for child restraint systems (CRS) and 12 out of 12 for CRS installation.

Additionally, it secured 9 out of 13 points in the vehicle assessment category. These results were based on tests conducted with dummies representing 18-month-old and 3-year-old children.

Talking about the XEV 9e, the EV has scored a full 32 out of 32 points for Adult Occupancy Protection (AOP) and 45/49 points for Child Occupancy Protection (COP). In the frontal offset deformable barrier and side movable deformable barrier tests, the XEV 9e achieved a perfect score of 16 out of 16 points, making it the first model evaluated by BNCAP to achieve a full 32/32 points in the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category as mentioned before.

The protection provided to the driver and front passenger dummies was rated as ‘good’ across all areas, including the head, chest, pelvis, and legs. Additionally, the XEV 9e received a ‘good’ rating in the side pole impact test.